Electric shoe polisher and cleaner



Feb. 1, 1966 c. E. MALENFANT ELECTRIC SHOE POLISHER AND CLEANER Filed April 9, 1964 United States Patent O 3,231,916 ELECTRIC SHOE PLISHER AND CLEANER Charles Eugene Maienfaut, 2110 Dorion St., Montreal, Quebec, Canada Filed Apr. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 358,568 6 Claims. (Cl. 15-34) This invention relates to polishing devices and more particularly to an automatic electric shoe polisher and cleaner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric shoe polisher and cleaner which will have internal plate and switch means for closing an electrical circuit contained within the housing to rotate a pair of rotary brushes which will polish and or clean shoes while they are beingworn.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electric shoe polisher and cleaner which will be contained in a pair of hollow, hinged housings of plastic or other suitable material, and the device will have angularly positioned rotary shafts which will be driven by worm gear means in the motor of the device, to rotate the brushes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an electric shoe polisher and cleaner which will have automatic shut-off means contained within the upper and lower housing to prevent the operator from reaching downward to start or stop the device.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an electric shoe polisher and cleaner bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efiip cient in operation and use.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan View of the present invention;

FIGURE 2. is an end view of FIGURE 1 shown in elevation and partly broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical `view of one of the drive shafts shown in elevation and removed from the invention;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational View of one of the brushes shown removed from the invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a schematic wiring diagram of the invention.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, an electric shoe polisher and cleaner made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a hollow circular lower housing 12 and a circular upper housing 14 which are provided with a hinge 16 in order that housings 12 and 14 may be opened for servicing and cleaning of the internal components. A spring clip 18 is secured to the upper housing 14 and snappingly engages a catch 2@ which is secured to the lower housing to secure the upper housing 14 to the lower housing 12. An opening 22 through upper housing 14 provides a means for the operators foot to contact a plate 24 of shoe shape which in conjunction with an electrical switch 26 in series with motor 28 provides on and off power means for operating electric shoe polisher and cleaner 10. Motor 2S is secured to a flanged base 30 which is molded of plastic or other suitable material. Base '30 is iixedly secured to bottom wall 32 of lower housing 12. A pair of angular and spaced apart support members 34 provide rotary support and bearing means for a pair of elongated drive shafts 36. The upper extremity of shafts 36 are secured within bushings 38 of rotary brushes 40 which extend above support members 34 and are perpendicular to their respective shaft 36. A gear 42 1s keyed to shafts 36 at the lower extremity and gears 42 engage worm gear 43 secured to motor 28 to provide 3,231,916 Patented Feb. 1, 1966 ICC a means for rotating shaft 36 and the respective brushes 40. The lower extremity of shafts 36 are received with- 1n bushings 44 which have an integral ball bearing 46. Bushings 44 are fxedlysecured to an A-shaped mounting plate 48 which is xedly secured to bottom wall 32 of lower housing 12. An electric cord 50 and plug 52 extend from lower housing 12 and provide means for plugging electric shoe polisher and cleaner 10 into a wall outlet.

In operation, the operator of electric shoe polisher and cleaner 10 places his foot within opening 22 until it rests upon the surface of plate 24 and the weight of the foot urges downwardly and closes switch 26. When switch 26 is closed, motor 28 rotates Worm gear 43 which in turn rotates gears 42 secured to shafts 36 and the brushes 49'are rotated and will polish the Ishoe resting on plate 24 It will be noted that shafts 36 are divergiug upwardly and are disposed on each side of shoe rest plate 24 in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of plate 24. Thus, brushes 40 extend above plate 24 in planes inclined to said plate and upwardly converging above the center line of said plate. The proximate portions of brushes 40 are spaced apart sufficiently for the passage of the users ankle with the brush bristles preferably contacting both sides of the shoe to be polished. The shoe can be moved out of the machine from either end of plate 24, because the end edges of opening 22 of upper housing 14 are disposed below the level of plate 24 at both ends of the latter.

In the practice of the invention, the shoe is inserted through one end of opening 22 and made to press on plate 24 to start rotation of brushes 40. The brushes will first clean and polish the sides and top of the front part of the shoe, the user tilting his foot laterally during this operation. The user then moves his foot forwardly through the top center portion of opening 22 in order that brushes 4i) may engage the sides and, finally, the back of the shoe. The shoe is then moved out of the machine through the end of opening 22 opposite the shoe inserting end.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as deiineid by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A shoe cleaner and polisher comprising a pair of upwardly diverging rotary straight, rigid shafts disposed in a substantially vertical plane, circular rotary brushes secured to the upper ends of said shafts, said brushes being in planes substantially perpendicular to the respective shafts and upwardly converging, the proximate portions of said brushes being spaced apart to provide a passage for the users foot, a, free space being left under said brush proximate portions, for the insertion of the shoe to be cleaned and polished, means to rotatably support said shafts and power means to rotate said shafts.

2. A shoe cleaner and polisher as claimed in claim 1, further including an elongated plate on which a shoe to be cleaned and polished, is adapted to rest, said plate disposed within said passage below and underneath said brush proximate portions and in a position in which the longitudinal axis of said elongated plate is substantially perpendicular to the plane containing said rotary shafts.

3. A shoe cleaner and polisher as claimed in claim 2, wherein said plate is movable downwardly and means responsive to said downward movement of said plate to energize said power means and produce rotation of said brushes.

4. A shoe cleaner and polisher as claimed in .claim l, further including a housing surrounding said power ieans, shafts and brushes, said housing having side walls and a top wall, and having an elongated opening made in the top wall and extended in opposite portions of said side walls to extend below the level of said brushes, said elongated opening having its longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the plane containing said rotary shafts and allowing the passage of the users foot completely through the housing with the shoe passing below and between said rotary brushes.

5` A shoe cleaner and polisher as claimed in claim 4, further including an elongated pressure plate mounted within said housing below the proximate portions of said brushes and underneath the same, said pressure plate being disposed at a level slightly above the lower end edge portions of said opening, said elongated pressure plate having its axis substantially parallel to the axis of said elongated opening.

6. A shoe polisher and cleaner as claimed in claim 5,

wherein said pressure plate is arranged for limited downward movement and means responsive to said downward movement of said pressure plate to cause energization of said power means upon downward movement of said pressure plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 97,716 12/1869 Smith 15-36 1,172,707 2/1916 Hill 15--36 1,277,834 9/1918 Berdar 15-36 1,504,377 8/1924 Plummer 15--34 3,066,338 12/1962 Nappi 15-34 FOREIGN PATENTS 526,114 6/ 1931 Germany. 260,376 9/1928 Italy.

59,362 2/1912 Switzerland.

20 CHARLES A. WILLMUTH. Primary Examiner. 

1. A SHOE CLEANER AND POLISHER COMPRISING A PAIR OF UPWARDLY DIVERGING ROTARY STRAIGHT, RIGID SHAFTS DISPOSED IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PLANE, CIRCULAR ROTARY BRUSHES SECURED TO THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID SHAFTS, SAID BRUSHES BEING IN PLANES SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE RESPECTIVE SHAFTS AND UPWARDLY COVERGING, THE PROXIMATE PORTIONS OF SAID BRUSHES BEING SPACED APART TO PROVIDE A 